Teen Titans: A Collection of Short Stories
by Invader Sam
Summary: A series of short, episodic stories following after the events of "Maturity". UPDATED! Newest installment is entitled "No Means No"...Beast Boy & Raven hit the town on their first official date!
1. Through The Mirror

Authors' Note: Okay! After the successful run of our first Titans fic "Maturity", Shaun and I present to you the first installment in a short series of short stories, all following the events of the last story. Enjoy!

* * *

The Next Teen Titan Fic: "Through the Mirror"

By Invader Sam and Shaun

"Rae? You in here?"

Silence. Good sign, or bad? "Raven, are you still mad at me for the whole 'grabbing-you-while-falling-down-the-stairs' thing? I really am sorry…" Talking to a blank white door wasn't always the easiest thing to do, and the lack of response was making it that much harder. "Come on, don't make me beg…" He pressed the 'open' button on the door and was surprised when it slid open. She had actually forgotten to lock her door?? "Uh…Rae? I'm comin' in, okay??"

The nineteen year old changeling stepped inside. Not much had changed about her room since he'd last seen it. Maybe it had gotten a little creepier. He glanced around. She wasn't there. _'I should probably just leave now,' _he thought to himself, _'Then again…now would be a perfect opportunity to…' _ He glanced at her dresser. Her mirror was in its usual place, now joined on the wood by a clutter that he didn't remember from last time: black lipstick, eye-liner, hair gel (she had recently started spiking it, first as a test to see how long before they would notice and then after he'd complimented her she'd continued doing it), and an assortment of stringed beads that he didn't touch for fear of awakening some sort of demon.

He was familiar with the mirror, however, and picked it up carelessly. He tapped the glass with a forefinger, "Hello? Anybody home in there?" After a moment of ceaseless poking, the mirror activated (as if annoyed at him) shooting out black energy and sucking him inside.

Perhaps he shouldn't have taken Cyborg's comment to heart. True, she had really only told him how she felt once, but maybe snooping in someone's mind to find out wasn't the best way to retrieve an answer. One dizzying journey and hard smack against stone told Beast Boy that it was far too late to be having second thoughts.

He heard a familiar giggle and looked up from his spot on the ground. Happy, the most suppressed of Raven's personality-sides was grinning down at him. Her hair was cropped short and spiked as well now; apparently the personality-sides changed along with the real thing. "Hey B.B.," Happy said, extending her hand towards him, "Long time no see!"

The changeling took her offered hand and managed to stand up quickly, "Hey there…um, Happy Frolicking Raven?" he put one hand on his chin, wondering what the best name for this personality would really be, "Sure has been a while."

"No kidding," she nodded, linking her arm in his and leading him off down the meteor-strewn path, "We've really missed you around here. We've all been hoping you'd come back to see us someday. What brings you down here, anyway?"

"I just missed you all so much," he said, smiling over at her. Manipulating one-dimensional (at least emotionally) people couldn't be too terribly difficult. After a little bit of acting it would be easy to slip in the question casually.

"I'm so glad!" she chirped, pulling herself closer to him, "There's actually someone new around, who I just _have _to introduce you to!" They passed through the gateway into her sector and the scenery changed to flowery fields and pink trees. Instead of the strawberries he remembered, bright red cherries floated by occasionally. Happy plucked one out of the air and offered it to him, "Want one?"

Beast Boy sniffed, his sensitive nose telling him there was more than a little something different about those cherries. "No thanks," he said, shaking his head.

"Suit yourself. More for me," she said, popping the cherry into her mouth and tossing away the stem, "You know, we've all been doing a lot of thinking about you lately…mostly because of _her_." She emphasized the last word, as if expecting him to understand whom she was referring to.

"Really?" his ears perked up, "Wait…because of who?"

"The new girl," Happy explained, "Let's just say, she's been making some waves. Timid can show you where to find her," she pushed him through the end-boundary of her realm, "Have fun!"

The changeling stumbled forward awkwardly, looking backwards to try to see where the Happy side of Raven went. As he was no longer watching where he was going, he ran straight into a gray-cloaked being, who blinked down at him, eyes wide. "Um…hi!" he said, blushing and straightening up, "Timid, right?"

She nodded, also red, "I didn't think I'd see you again…" she said glumly, "You weren't looking for _me_, were you?"

"Sure I was! Happy told me to come find you, actually," he told her, grinning as widely as possible. Since he yelled at her all those years ago, he couldn't help but feel bad when he saw her. It was another side of Raven that didn't often show.

"Oh…" Timid said, just a trace of a smile flickering across her sullen face, "She probably wants me to take you to see _her…_"

"It was somthin' like that," Beast Boy admitted, one hand behind his head, "Who's this 'her', anyway?"

"The new girl…" Timid replied, "She was born right after you kissed us for the first time, and she's been getting more…powerful lately…" She turned and began leading him through her realm. At one time it had been a rigid maze of thick walls. Now it was a labyrinth of mist and shadows. "You'll notice that things have gotten…rather twisted around here…" she added as they entered the maze.

Now standing up-side down, Beast Boy began to look around, "I can see that."

"Things have been changing a lot since she arrived," she said as they passed through a short tunnel, "I don't like her very much…by the way, I'm sorry I'm not as pretty as Starfire is…"

Random, but then a lot of what Timid had to say was random (at least the last time he was here), "Hey, whoever said that?" _I hope it wasn't me…_

"No one…but we're constantly comparing ourselves to her ever since we started worrying about what you thought of us," she explained, "I've had a lot more front-time than I used to…"

"Well, if you're worried about what I think, shouldn't you ask me?"

Timid turned and blinked at him, then said, "We thought about that…but then we felt silly asking…so we didn't." She continued along the path, her cloak brushing the ground softly.

Beast Boy blinked once, then ran to catch up with the sorrowing personality, "Well, aren't you going to ask me now?" he asked, exasperated.

"I suppose…" she said, as if the idea had never occurred to her, "What _do _you think of us?"

He stood upright, at least two inches taller than her, "I think that you're just as pretty as Starfire," he told her earnestly, looking right into her eyes, "But there's one difference: I like you, not her."

A tiny smile flickered across her face once again, "Oh…right…thanks. But when you say 'you', you mean the real one, right?"

Every positive outlook that ever approached this personality was shot down before it even had a chance. It made Beast Boy feel a little sad that this was part of the Raven he loved so well, "You're part of the real Raven," the changeling said sternly, determined not to let this Raven put herself down, "So I like all of you!"

Timid nodded, blushing, "I thank you, but I have to ask you to stop making me happy…it disrupts the balance."

Beast Boy blinked, as if only now realizing what would happen if a sad personality stopped being sad. One would tend to worry much less, at the least, "Oh…okay, I guess." These next few minutes of walking would certainly be awkward.

"We're almost at the end of the maze anyway," she told him as they crossed through a hall of mirrors, "See?" she gestured at the dim light at the end of the tunnel. As they exited, she pointed again, directing his eyes towards a path that had not been there the last time he'd visited which jutted out to the right of the main road. "If you go that way, you'll find _her_…"

"Right," Beast Boy said, nodding. He took not but a step before he tuned around to face Timid again, "Who is 'her', anyway?"

"Well…um...you won't be able to miss her," Timid said, avoiding the question, "Just go that way…you'll see what I mean…"

Never a straight answer. Not much was ever linear in this place, "Thanks for your help," he said, quickly leaning forward and pecking the timid Raven on the cheek. With that, he promptly pivoted on one foot and began to walk down the new, unknown path.

Timid put a hand on her cheek, her eyes wide. Then she frowned, "That was probably out of pity…" she said, heading slowly back into the maze.

It took less than a minute to complete the short trip through yet another door. A wave of hot air hit him as he passed through it, and he glanced around at the new surroundings. It was more of a room than a realm, with a large black-wood bed on one side, draped with red curtains. On the other side was a large Jacuzzi, the source of the heat he was being smothered in. Black and red candles burned, floating around the room of their own accord. He tugged at his collar, suddenly apprehensive. What sort of personality would live here?

"I've been expecting you Garfield," said a silky voice. Out of the shadows stepped the new Raven personality, dressed only in a black silk bathrobe, and leaning against a bedpost seductively.

The newcomer's appearance nearly made Beast Boy fall over. There went that question, "Um, heh heh heh, am I interrupting something?" he asked weakly.

"Not at all," she said, sashaying past him to stand on the edge of the bubbling pool, "I was just about to take a bath."

"Oh, well in that case, I'll just wait outside till your-" Wait, what did she mean 'not at all'? This was one of those situations that usually merited a 'yes' response to his question, wasn't it? "-done…" he finished, trying to work out her meanings in his head.

"Oh you don't have to do that," she said, turning toward him and causing the robe to drape off of one shoulder, "I was hoping you'd join me…"

Kinky Raven. That _was_ something that hadn't been here last time, "Erm…" he started, not sure whether it would be right for him to do something like that. He was in Raven's head, after all. But then again, this was _technically_ Raven (or at least one form of her). He walked over to the waters edge slowly, looking down at the steaming liquid, "Nice place you got here," he stated casually.

"It's not much, but it's home," she said, "Nice and quiet, to say the least…and the water's always perfect…" With a drawn-out sigh, she untied her sash and let the robe slide onto the floor.

Beast Boy could feel the blood rushing to his nose at this vision of loveliness, "Ah…Raven?" he spoke up, tugging at his shirt collar. It really was getting hot in here.

"Yes?" she asked, stepping into the pool.

Sometimes, one had to just shut up and take the opportunities life presented you, "Never mind," he said, beginning to get undressed himself, "Just wanted to know your name is all."

"Well, my title would be 'Kinky' or 'Seductive', but you can call me 'Raven' is it suits you," she told him.

"Raven sounds good," he said, climbing in to join her. The water was, as she had predicted, perfect. "You were right, this is nice," he said, closing his eyes and sinking down to his chin in the liquid.

"I knew you'd like it," she cooed, swimming up close to him and snaking her arms around him from under the water, "I've been waiting for a chance like this for a while now."

Beast Boy felt his face grow hot (not from the water), "You have?" he asked, eyes widening at his current view.

"Yes," she nodded, then put one hand behind his head and pressed her lips to his.

* * *

Down in the Tower's TV room, the other four teens were enjoying a quiet summer afternoon. Raven was hidden behind "DOOM…The Inevitability". Star was stretched out on her stomach on the floor with headphones on and a fashion magazine spread out in front of her. Cyborg was engrossed in his Gameboy Advance (the flip-up kind!). Robin was fiddling with a Rubik's Cube. 

Boredly, Raven turned the page of her book. Then as if a bolt of lightning shot through her head, her eyes widened and the book fell from her hands. It landed on the floor with a thud that made the others all look up.

"Um…Rae? You okay?" Robin asked.

Her cheeks were slowly coloring and an instant later she bolted out of her seat, tearing towards the main hallway, "I have to go!" She barely made it through the doorway before they heard her moan breathily and almost happily.

"What the hell was that about?" Cyborg said, his one eyebrow raised.

"Um…Star?" Robin turned to the young woman on the floor, "What was that??"

"I am not sure…" Star said, looking puzzled, "I was quite sure that a man had to be involved to cause a reaction of that sort…"

The two males exchanged glances, "Ohhhhhhh…" they said in unison, before shuddering. The android flicked the 'off' switch on his gaming machine and placed it on the coffee table, "Where'd BB go?"

Robin snapped the last cube into its correct place and looked up, "I haven't seen him. Why?"

"I think someone's been playing in Rae's mirror without permission again," Cy explained, "I sense a chewing-out coming. Wanna go listen at the door?"

"Sounds good to me," Robin agreed, standing up, "Are you going to come too, Star?"

"No," Star shook her head, "And I do not think you should invade on their privacy, either."

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy," Cyborg waved her off and headed towards the hallway. Robin paused, looking back and forth between Cyborg's retreating form and Starfire, unsure of what to do. "Come on, Birdman, you're not backin' out on me now!" Cyborg cried, grabbing the Boy wonder by the arm and dragging him off.

"Sorry, Star!" Robin called as he vanished through the doorway.

Starfire sighed, put her headphone back up over her ears, and upped the volume of her CD. If they were caught, Beast Boy would not be the only one getting chewed-out that afternoon.

* * *

Back in Raven's mirror, Beast Boy and Kinky were lost in an intense lip-lock, still submerged in the Jacuzzi. 

"_What…is…going…on…in here?!?!_" Through the steam filling the room stepped the true Raven, seething.

Beast Boy's eyes flew open, panicked, but was unable to speak. _'I'm dead…'_

"Hey girl," Kinky said, putting her elbows up on the edge of the pool, "We were just thinking about you."

"I'll deal with you later!" Raven growled at her newest personality, "And as for _you_…" she said, turning back to Beast Boy, "Get your _damn _clothes on and get out of my head!!"

The changeling went bright red and morphed himself into a fly, swirling around the room for an instant before managing to squeeze under his pile of clothing. When he changed back into his normal form, the garments assimilated back onto him, "Ah…this is gonna be really hard to explain," he said, waving his hands in front of himself in a mock-shield motion, "But you'll let me try, right?"

Growling, Raven grabbed him by the pointed ear and dragged him towards the door. Kinky pulled herself out of the Jacuzzi and waved, "Bye Garfield! Come back and see me some time."

He waved, happily enjoying what he knew could be the last thing he'd ever see if Raven was pissed enough at him. The return trip to Raven's room wasn't nearly as sickening as the twisting, turning, falling trip into her head. Beast Boy, however, was feeling ill in a different way. Invasion of privacy was one thing (and not a good one), but maybe that had been going too far. At least he got the answer to his question…

As soon as their feet hit the floor, Raven shoved him back against the closest wall, gripping his collar with both hands. "Do you have _any _idea what you just _did_??" she half-whispered, half-shouted.

"I…went in your mirror?" he asked, trying to contain sniggers of fright.

She was so close that he could feel her quickened breathing on his face. "You nearly made me have an _orgasm _in the _living room_!!" she hissed.

"Really?" he asked, before his better judgment could stop him, "I mean, um- sorry." He put his hands in front of his face, waiting to get pummeled.

"What were you thinking? What could have possibly possessed you to _do _that??" she asked him angrily.

"I was-, well I was just-" Beast Boy stuttered, trying to find the right words, "I just wanted to see how you felt about me, that's all! Honest! It was all her idea, I swear!"

"That I don't doubt…" she said turning her eyes to his chest, "Men are so weak-willed…" she swore under her breath and then looked back up at him, "If you had doubts about my feelings, why didn't you just come and _talk _to me?"

"But that was my idea! See, I did go to talk to you. It's just easier to talk to you one personality at a time. I didn't realize things had changed so much in there..."

"It's been about four years since the last time you were in there – of course thing's have changed," she said, her grip on his shirt loosening, "I've changed…"

"I'm kinda glad for that, actually," Beast Boy admitted, "I used to think that I'd never have a chance with you. You were always so uptight and concealing. Now, at least, I can tell you care because you're angry with me."

"I have a sinking feeling that it was something _before _my appearance today that put the idea in your head," she said, turning just a light shade of red.

"Well," Beast Boy started meekly, still wary of physical punishment, "You are a really good kisser, Raven."

"Me? Or her?" she asked.

"She is you, remember. So either way I answer, the answer is still you."

Raven sighed, letting her head fall upon his chest, "Why can't I ever stay mad at you?? A minute ago I wanted to punch your face in and now I just can't…"

"Is it because you decided to forgive me?" Beast Boy asked hopefully, using one hand to pat her back.

"I guess so…" she said smiling up at him, "You're lucky you're so damn cute." She kissed him gently.

* * *

Outside in the hall, Cyborg pushed away from the door, looking disgusted, "Man…what a let-down. Where'd he ever learn to charm his way out of a pounding, huh??"

"Dunno. Must get awful close to a pounding a lot and learned to escape them," Robin shrugged, folding his arms across his chest.

"Man, there have been times where I woulda liked to pound him."

"Maybe he practices…"

"Anyway, no reason to stand around here anymore," Cy shrugged, turning and heading back down the hallway towards the stairs.

Robin stared at the door for a moment, imaging how Beast Boy and Raven would look as a couple (if they ever decided to officially declare themselves one). He smiled slightly, then followed his large friend down the hall.

* * *

Behind the closed door of her room, Raven pulled out of the kiss. "How was that?" she asked, "As good as her?"

The changeling faked thinking hard, "Hmmmm, ya know," he told her, "It's kinda hard to tell from just one…"

"You're evil…" she said, "Alright, fine." With an almost-demonic grin, she steered him to the right and pushed him down on her bed, climbing up on top of him and kissing him passionately. After a long moment, she broke away, licking her lips. "How 'bout now?"

"That," he said, trying to catch his breath, "was as good- no, better!"

"Just thought I'd try to show her up," she said, face flushed with unplanned excitement, "Looks like it worked."

"Yeah, you won."

"Not really sure what got into me…" she admitted, running a hand through his already tousled hair, "But I liked it."

"I think someone is letting their kinky side get to them," Beast Boy said, grinning and shaking a finger at the Azarath.

She shrugged, "You liked that side of me, didn't you?" Before he could answer, she covered his mouth with hers, making sure she gave him a little tongue before pulling back once again to await his response.

"After living with me for five years, you sure have got me pegged pretty good, Rae," he told her, enjoying her friendly presence.

"What can I say?" she said, "I'm an observer. You're the only one who's ever provoked me into action." She slipped one hand under his shirt, tracing his stomach and then chest muscles teasingly.

His body tingled at her touch. Beast Boy was beginning to wonder just how much her kinky personality had gotten hold of her. Still, at least he was finally getting some time alone with Raven…that didn't involve him being harmed, "Lucky me."

"No…lucky us," she corrected. Then she grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt with both hands and began sliding it up off of him. She felt vaguely certain that her timid side was being suppressed by her kinky side, but at the moment her brave actions were exciting her, empowering her. She'd never felt so in-control before, and she didn't want to give it up just yet.

He made no move to resist. Whatever would make her happy was perfectly fine with him for now. Beast Boy slid his arms out of the sleeves of his shirt, the heat of the enclosed room beginning to remind him a bit of the time he had spent inside Raven's mind, "I suppose that's true."

She leaned in close, kissing his neck softly. "You are enjoying this, too, aren't you?"

He grinned, "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Beast Boy asked, acting confused, "The girl of my dreams is showing interest in me."

She pushed herself into a sitting position, blushing. "Girl…of your dreams…?" she repeated, "Really?" 

He nodded vigorously, then turn his face into that of a large canine and licked her face, "That's right!"

She laughed, and stroked his head as it returned to normal. "It's funny…I never would have thought I'm who you pictured yourself ending up with."

"Well, after Star's little description of the future, I kinda pictured myself as a fat, balding old guy with no life. But I did always like you, even right from when we first met," he chuckled softly, recalling aging memories, "I think it was probably a while before that feeling was mutual, eh?"

"Not as long a while as you might think," she said, "It probably started the last time you broke into my mind." She slid back down on her stomach beside him, "You made us breakfast for dinner, and if I remember right, I actually ate some of it…"

"Yeah, while we were at the table even," the changeling laughed, "I think that was a first."

"Yeah…you were starting to wear me down even then," she said, closing her eyes and smiling, "I can still remember your ridiculous expression that morning when I made the tofu blow up in your face."

"That wasn't cool!" Beast Boy said, feeling slightly annoyed, "That tofu didn't do anything to you!"

"I didn't do it on purpose," she said, eyes open again, looking worried that she might've brought up the wrong thing, "You remember what was happening, right?"

"Yes, I do," he nodded, eyes closed, "Sorry, didn't want ta sound mean."

"It's okay…I didn't want to make you mad…" she said, resting her chin on her folded forearms, "I don't think I've ever told you, but I really like the way we are now, better than when we were younger – when we didn't get along. I like it this way much better. It just feels…right, you know?"

He put one arm across her back and hugged her close to him, "I know exactly what you mean," Beast Boy said, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"I love you…" she whispered, reaching up to touch his face with one hand.

"Really?"

"More than anything," she nodded, "I never expected to be this happy…ever…I never thought I deserved it."

"Well why not?" the teenager asked, one eyebrow raised.

She swallowed hard, "Because of who I was…who I still am…there'll always be a dark side of me…It's under control now, but I always worry that it'll break loose again," she sat up again, hugging herself, "It took me so long to come forward about my feelings because I…I was afraid of being too happy. I can't help worrying what'll happen if I ever lost you…I don't know if I could control myself if that happened. That's why I was hesitant – I didn't think attachments were a safe thing to have…"

"Sheesh," Beast Boy said jokingly, "Get kidnapped once and you hear about it the rest of your life," he began to rub Raven's back gently, trying to relax her, "Nothing's going to happen to me, I promise."

She flung herself at him, holding him tightly. He thought she might start to cry, but the tears seemed unable to escape her. He should have known she was too strong for that. Instead, she raised her head and kissed him long and hard. When she pulled away, she was smiling again, "Talk about crazy mood-swings, huh?" she said embarrassedly, "They must be having a party in my head…"

"I think someone's going a little overboard with their cherries."

"I wish they would make up my mind already," she said leaning back and shaking her head, as if trying to rattle the personalities inside, "This is getting a little too strange, even for me."

"Strange is fine," Beast Boy said, closing his eyes again, beginning to realize how tired he was. It had been a long day, after all, "Any Raven is fine…"

"I'm glad for that," she said, stroking his face, "You okay?"

He yawned, "Yeah, I'm okay…" normally, his common sense would have told him to get up and leave now, but he seemed to have lost it to the drowsy haziness of Raven's room. Damn summer heat.

"Uh oh…look's like I wore you out," she said with a laugh, "You wanna rest for a while?"

His eyelids had already failed on him, unable to bring themselves to lift and see Raven's happy, smiling face again, "Sure…that sounds good…"

"Okay…" she said, grabbing her pillow and setting it under him as she pushed him back down on the bed, "You do that. I'll be right back." She kissed his forehead then climbed off the bed, trying to brush the wrinkles out of her T-shirt and jeans.

"Okay…"

She shut her door quietly behind her and headed down to the kitchen. She wasn't really hungry, but she felt like she needed a brief change of scenery. Maybe she would find something to bring back up for him when he woke up. The image of his adorable near-sleeping form still lingered in her mind as she glided past the living room and into the kitchen, treading so softly that Robin (the lone remaining Titan in the vicinity) didn't even look up as she passed him. 

A lucky break on her part, all things considered. She wasn't exactly ready to try and explain her outburst to them at the moment. The kitchen was filled with the red-orange light of the afternoon sun, and she paused, leaning against the counter, just letting it seep through her pale skin. Quickly it dawned on her that she had never once prepared any food more complicated than toast and coffee, and she sighed. _'There goes **that** idea…' _she thought to herself ruefully, _'Great…now I came down here for nothing.' _

She ambled over to the fridge and peered inside, having never often ventured into its chilly depths before. It was surprisingly less disgusting than she had imagined it would have been. She pulled out a pitcher of iced-tea and poured herself a tall glass, then sidled along the counter, sliding up onto a stool and staring out at the late afternoon sky, silhouetting the city skyline. 

"Hi Raven," said Robin, not even looking up from his spot on the couch.

Damn the lack of walls between the kitchen and the living room. "Hey Robin," she said, staring down into her drink.

"How's it goin'?"

"Alright. You?"  
"Fine." He paused for a moment, trying to word his next sentence carefully, "You alright? From before, I mean."

"Yeah…" she said, blushing, "Gar was having some…adventures in my mirror…But I'll get over it. Sorry if I freaked you out."

"No, we figured beast Boy was involved somehow. Weird things happen around here all the time. The most surprising thing was probably that this latest event involved you. Kinda reminded me of when you burst out laughing for no reason five years ago when I told you that your door had been knocked down. Guess this was just a notch or two up from that." The Boy Wonder flipped the page of his book in a bored fashion.

"Outbursts like that are to be expected when one of my personified emotions gets too…stimulated," she said, swirling the contents of her glass lazily.

"Stimulated, eh?"

"Are you really going to make me go into detail about it?" she asked, turning a deeper shade of red.

"No, you don't have to if you don't want to." How would he like it if someone went and messed with his head then had to tell all of his friends about it?

"Thanks," she said, "And Beast Boy will probably be _bragging_ about it tomorrow anyway, so I'll let you wait for that…"

"Why would he do that?" Robin asked, slightly startled. Beast Boy usually kept his mouth shut in matters involving him and Raven, but maybe she didn't know that…

For the first time, Raven turned to look at Robin, also surprised, "What do you mean why? Hasn't he been telling you everything? He could never keep quiet about anything before."

"BB hasn't said much of anything about you two. Kinda surprising, but he avoids that subject."

She put her glass down slowly, "Hmmm…" she said with a smile, "That's something I didn't expect…"

"Neither did Cyborg. It still kinda irks him."

Raven rose from her chair, half-empty glass in hand and climbed over the back of the couch so she was sitting beside him, legs folded Indian-style. "Thanks for telling me that," she said quietly.

"No problem. Where is the green-haired menace, anyway?" Robin asked, noting the change in her location.

"Upstairs in my room, sleeping," she said, "Guess I tired him out."

"Sounds about right. You two were alone for quite a while."

"It was nothing that serious," she said urgently, "I swear – we're not at that stage yet…I'm not actually sure what stage we _are _at, to tell you the truth."

"You'll figure it out eventually," Robin replied. He and Star were quite aware of what stage _ they_ were at, but he remembered this type of problem.

"I hope so," she said, "I don't like being uncertain about things."

"I don't know if Beast Boy likes it much either. Is that why he was in your mind today?"

"I suppose," Raven said, then she blushed, "He certainly got a straight answer from in there…"

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Robin told her, looking up from his book.

"Let's just say he met my sex drive, and leave it at that," she said, grinning at the absurdity of the statement. It was actually a bit of a relief to finally let it out in the open.

"I never knew you had a 'dirty' side, Raven. Just doesn't seem like you," the apprentice of the Dark Knight said mildly. 

"She's a little too forward at times, but I wouldn't go straight to 'dirty'," the Goth said lightly, "It's not like I don't have hormones – I just hide them better than most people. Anyway," she said, rising again from her seat, "It's been real, but I've gotta go check on Gar. See ya later." With a friendly wave, she headed back towards the stairs.

* * *

When she returned to her room, it too was now filled with the reddish glow of approaching evening. Beast Boy was sprawled across her mattress, snoring softly. She sat down beside him, smiling. What she'd ever done to deserve him, she'd never know, but she thanked the fates for the blessing. She leaned down and kissed his cheek, then laid down beside him. As she closed her eyes, letting sleep descend upon her, she felt for the first time in a long while, that she was exactly where she belonged.


	2. Look Me Up

"Look Me Up"

By Invader Sam & Invader Shaun

"That was pure luck! One more round!" Beast Boy cried, shaking his game controller dramatically. 

"Pure luck, my ass," Cyborg said, grinning, "You just suck at Karate-Man: Death 5. Why don't you quit and save yourself another humiliating defeat?"

"I do not suck!" 

"Tell that to your character. Man, I've never seen someone's head ripped off their body so easily…"

Beast Boy tossed the controller down, disgusted, and sunk down into the couch cushions. It just wasn't fair. Every year Game Station came out with a new version of Karate-Man and every year they rushed to buy it, and every year he got his behind handed to him in a timely fashion. It just wasn't fair.

Cyborg, on the other hand, had grown quite attached to their little ritual, over the five years they'd live together. He stood up and stretched proudly. Then he set his controller down and grinned over at his sulking friend, "If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna fix me a victory-sandwich." He strutted off to the kitchen, where he pillaged the fridge for a combination of meats worthy of a champion.

Robin walked into the room, noting the expressions on his two friends faces, "Awww…Cy, did I miss it?"

"Yeah, it was over pretty quick this time," the android said, slathering a steak roll with mustard.

"Better luck next year, Beast Boy," Robin said, walking over to the kitchen and ducking into the refrigerator and grabbing his water bottle, "If you wanna get your mind off it, the training room's always open."

Beast Boy let out an agonized moan, and slid off the couch onto the floor like water.

As Robin laughed and left the room, Raven came in through the same door. "A little early for lunch, isn't it, Cy?" she asked, eyeing his massive sandwich.

"Never too early for the sweet taste of conquest!" he replied, sitting down at the table and digging in.

"I see…" she said blandly, then crossed to the living room, where Beast Boy was still wallowing in self-pity on the carpet, "Got your ass kicked, huh?"

"I don't need this from everyone!" the green-skinned changeling replied grumpily, getting up and stretching.

"Sorry…" she said, "I was thinking of getting out of the house for a while…wanna come?"

"Anything's better than training," he shrugged, sitting down on the couch again.

"Or getting wupped again!" Cyborg added through a stuffed mouth.

Beast Boy growled and Raven grabbed his arm, "Just ignore him. Come on, let's get out of here." Trying not to seem too forceful, she led him towards the elevator leading to the ground floor.

The android swallowed the large amount of foodstuffs in his mouth, watching the two leave. Those two were together, Robin and Star were together somewhere, and what did he have? A sandwich. He sighed and laid the half-devoured concoction back down on the plate, suddenly not feeling as hungry anymore.

Then the cell phone implanted in his arm rang. _'What the…?' _He ejected it out of its slot and checked the caller ID. Not a number he recognized, but he pressed the 'receive' button anyway. "Hello?"

"Wow...it worked," said a familiar female voice, "Cy, is that you?"

"Yeah…who's this?"

"It's Amy…I used the number on your card, and Beast Boy forwarded my call," the voice said, "This is going to sound odd, but I have a favor to ask you."

"Sure, anything," he said, realizing too late that he sounded much too eager, "Whadda ya need?"

"I'm actually on my way into Jump City right now, tailing a lead on Robert Mendoza, a usually-Gotham-based drug lord," she explained, "I thought I'd call and see what help I could get from someone who knows the area."

"Uhhh, sure. I live in the big 'T' in the middle of central lake. Ya can't miss it."

"I remember," she said with a laugh, "I'll see you in a little while." 

"Okay," Cyborg said, hanging up his phone. He blinked several times, trying to work out in his head what had just happened. Deciding that somehow his loneliness and boredness issues had just been solved, the android picked up his sandwich and took another bite, once again content to savor the taste of his conquests.

* * *

"You were right. It is impossible to miss."

"Hi to you too."

Amy grinned, her black hair shining in the sun from the open front door of the Tower, "It's nice to see you again, Cyborg. You gonna invite me in?"

"I was thinkin' about it," the large robot said, stepping aside so the doorway to the Tower was a clear path.

"Thanks," she said, stepping inside and glancing around, "Nice place…very spacious."

"It's not much, but it works well enough for our needs," Cyborg commented mildly, following her in and slamming the button to lock the door behind him.

"You know, to look at it from the outside, it almost seems like you're trying to compensate for something," she teased as they reached the elevator.

"Don't got no idea what you're talkin' about," the android said, avoiding her gaze, "Anyways, I think you said you had something serious to talk about, didn't you?"

"I did…" she said, her expression hardening as the elevator reopened and spat them out into the living room, "I've been following Mendoza for about a month now – the case just got handed over to me – and our intelligence tells us that he's relocating here. Seems we were getting too close for his tastes. He didn't count on the GPD having friends in high places here, though."

"Guess he didn't do his homework," Cyborg said, shaking his head, "So…any idea where we're gonna start?"

"Not really," she admitted, embarrassedly, "Back in Gotham, we could count on him to be lurking around the casinos with his entourage," she leaned back against the back of the couch, "Not sure if there're any places here where he'd feel at home. Any ideas?"

"Off the top of my head? Not any good ones," he admitted, then started heading over to the elevator again, "But let's check the comp. It might have a few thoughts for you."

"Sounds good," she said, following after him.

* * *

"Unbelievable…this set-up is amazing," she said, spinning once around the information center, soaking it all in, "Compliments of the Justice League, no doubt?"

"You think we have the dough for this?" the android asked jokingly, "We barely have enough to order a pizza!"

Amy laughed, "You'd never know by the looks of this place," then she stepped up in front of the wall-sized computer, "How's it work?"

Cyborg sat down in the chair before the large machine, "Me and Compy are best buds! I don't really know how the others use him without talkin' to him."

"You mean you can actually communicate with the computer?" she asked, leaning over his shoulder.

"Sure," the android nodded, his fingers opening up and extending small, silver cables into the super-computer, "He's not much for conversation, but he sure knows how to get info when I need it."

"That's incredible," she said, eyes wide.

Cyborg didn't respond. He closed his eyes, allowing the millions of tiny zeros and ones of data to course through his mind, translating the code into actual words. After a moment or two, a small list began to form on the screen.

Leigh scanned the list as it came up, her face brightening, "This is perfect…now at least we've got somewhere to start."

Cyborg just smiled.

* * *

"I can't believe you found a suit that fit me…" Cyborg said, struggling with his bowtie, now dressed in a black tuxedo.

"Shopping was never my forte – I'm as surprised as you are," Amy said, standing on tip-toe to help him. She was now wearing a short, white sleeveless dress with stiletto heels to match. Sapphire earrings and necklace highlighted her ice-blue eyes, and her ebony hair was pulled back in a sleek knot, with a few choice strands curled and framing her face.

"Man, it's been forever since I wore like, cloth stuff," Cyborg said, looking over the suit.

"I think it suits you," she said, rummaging through the bags to newly purchased 'camouflage' items and pulling out a small container of cover-up, "Here, sit down and hold still. I'll see if I can't get this to work," she told him, unscrewing the cap, and dipping her fore and middle fingers in the cream.

"What's that stuff?" he asked uncertainly.

"It's simple cover-up," she said, "As I've been told, it's used to conceal 'imperfections' in the complexion. I _really_ don't mean to offend you, but I think this will help you blend in a little better." She started applying the cream, gently spreading it over the bionic parts of his face.

Imperfections. Of course that was how she looked at it. Had he really expected any different? No matter who or where or what the situation was, he was always dissimilar to everyone else, "Okay," he replied mildly, allowing her to begin to mask his robotic differences. The android was far too used to this sort of thing to allow people to see his real feelings. Why should it offend the robot to say that he was different. It wasn't like he had any feelings…

"There," Amy said, finishing with a last swipe with her thumb across his chin, "That's perfect." She closed the near-empty container and wiped her hands off on a towel she'd set aside. "Now, all you need are these," she offered him a pair of dark sunglasses, "And no one will ever recognize you. See?" she held up a hand mirror in which for him to observe her work.

It was a change. And for once he did fit in. If she really liked him better this way, that wouldn't change anything. After all, this was just business. And they could always still be friends… "That's pretty cool. I doubt even the rest of the Titans could figure out who I am now." It's not liked they ever even had a relationship. Friendship was the social limit of a…well, cyborg.

Amy linked her arm with his and smiled up at him, "Ok…let's do this thing."

Cyborg nodded, adjusting the shades that rimmed his eyes, "Sure." It may have just been business, and she may not really like him, but he could be happy with a charade for now. It was better than the loneliness…

* * *

Upon entering _Brutus' Palace_, no one would ever think that the couple was anything but a beautiful, spoiled heiress and her massive, intimidating escort. No one could see the cop and the superhero beneath the surface. Amy adjusted the purse on her shoulder, already wanting desperately to get out of her high-heels, and glanced slowly around the first floor as they made their way through it. _'Certainly looks like __Mendoza's style,' _she thought to herself.

Cyborg could feel different pairs of eyes around the room burning into his cranium with their piercing glares. It must come with the territory of being a bodyguard. Well, at least that was what he was pretending to be, for now. It was just as well; he had never been any good at card games anyway.

In amongst the noise of the games, Leigh distinctly could make out the sounds of cat-calls drifting in her direction and flushed. Determined not to blow her cover, she kept a demure smile plastered on her face and forced herself to make eye-contact with a few of the 'oglers' as she passed them. Filling the stereotypical female role had always made her stomach churn, but in this case it seemed necessary. 

As they made their way towards the center of the room, a large card table draped in cigar smoke caught her attention. Loud shouting rang from the circle of men, and she picked up a familiar voice with a Latin-American accent among them _'Talk about a lucky break…' _she thought to herself. She stopped a few feet away, reaching out and putting and hand on Cyborg's arm. She pointed at the table subtly and then strode slowly towards it.

The large robot nodded and proceeded to stop about two steps away from the table. If she needed back-up, that was his job for now. His mechanical ears perked up, straining to hear everything at the game table.

Amy sidled up to the table, placing one gloved hand on the back of the nearest chair. The men glanced up as she parted the veil of smoke with her other hand. "You boys have room for one more?" she asked seductively.

Two burly-looking men glanced over at the lead male sitting at the head of the table. The man was wearing a snazzy white suit, a glass of wine in one hand and a large, slowly smoking cigar held tightly in the other. He nodded slowly, causing the two men to merely nod at the newcomer. There was another pair of sleaze sitting on the other side of the man. Mendoza smiled at the young woman, "Starting bet is fifty dollars, doll."

"That's fine with me," she said, taking a seat directly across from him and opening her purse. She counted out the bills and set them in the center of the table, "Deal me in."

"Does your friend want to try his luck as well?" the man asked, speaking plainly. It was fairly obvious that he had never dealt with women over the IQ of about 50 or so.

"I'm not sure," she turned back around, "Would you like to play, Victor?" she asked him sweetly.

Cyborg stared at her, wondering if she was deliberately trying to throw their plan by the wayside. No, this was all part of her act. He shook his head slowly, then cracked his neck once or twice, folding his heavily built arms across his chest.

"No, I think he's fine just watching," she said, turning back to the men, "He's so over-protective sometimes."

Mendoza nodded, beginning to deal the cards out once again, "You don't need us to explain the rules of poker, do you doll?" he asked, watching her closely.

"No that's alright," she assured him, "I've played a few times before."

"That's good," he responded, smiling falsely. The players began to look at their cards, not even the briefest flicker of emotion passing across their faces, "Ladies first."

Amy glanced down at her own hand, which wasn't too bad: [Jack of Hearts, 10 of Spades, King of Hearts, King of Diamonds, 2 of Clubs]. Growing up with four older brothers and attending an academy with a 2-to-1 male/female ratio was beginning to show its advantages, "I'll take three," she said, carefully placing her first, second, and fifth cards face-down near the center of the table where the deck was.

Mendoza nodded and handed her three new cards [King of Clubs, Ace of Diamonds, 7 of Spades]. The police officer in disguise smiled sweetly and nodded to the large man next to her, who took his turn. The round netted her a grand total of $375 dollars in profit after betting. The games began to get more intense, with more or less all of the rounds being taken by Leigh, causing one man to have to wipe his brow during the sixth game and the two large bodyguards to quit and become sneering cheerleaders behind Mendoza and his associates.

"Wow…talk about beginners luck, hmm?" she said, as the seventh game went to her as well, "Are you fellas about ready to stop, or shall we have another go?" She knew she was pushing her luck, but she was having just a little too much fun watching the drug dealers squirm.

The man at Mendoza's right whispered something in his ear and the men began rising from their seats. "I think that'll be all for us tonight, doll," the ring leader told her, "Don't spend all your winnings in one place." As a group, the men left in a small heard, pushing through the crowds towards the back of the building.

Amy collected the money quickly, _'Nothing wrong with playing Robin Hood every so often,' _and rose as well. Joining Cyborg once again, she whispered, "I think this is our cue to head out back, don't you?"

"Yeah," he said, watching as the men headed for the back door. The large android looked down at her bulging purse and raised an eyebrow curiously, "Nice handbag ya got there."

She grinned, "Yeah…I'd forgotten how much fun that game is. Not that I'm allowed to condone gambling or anything."

"Of course," Cyborg told her, rolling his eyes. He began to walk towards the back exit, easily wading through the crowd (all of whom were at least half a head shorter than him) and creating a path for Leigh.

She followed him through the parting crowd, noticing for the first time that his attitude had turned colder. Was it part of the act? She couldn't bring herself to brush it off as simply as that. She frowned, only able to watch his body language from behind now, wondering if she may have slipped up somewhere and brought on this change. But there was little time to think about it, as they had reached the back door, drowned in shadows and unguarded. _'No doubt __ Mendoza's men paid them off to look the other way,' _Amy thought, _'and they haven't found their way back yet.'_

Cyborg motioned for her to stop with one hand, pressing his ear against the large entryway dividing the two undercover agents and their quarry. Outside, a hushed but hurried conversation was proceeding rapidly.

"You said the shipment would be in tonight! This isn't exactly the business where customers like delays, Mr. Anquea!" Medoza's voice was dark, his breath coming in short, angry puffs.

"It will be in tonight! I promise! It'll just be a couple hours late – the boys had some trouble getting it out of Metropolis…but don't worry! They said it's all fine and they'll just need a couple of extra hours getting' down here." A second, voice, weaker and anxious, explained quickly.

"It better be. C'mon boys!" the voice began to get fainter, nearly causing Cyborg to miss the last few words, "Let's see if Mr. Anquea and Mr. Venaca can manage to unload a boat without adult supervision."

Amy watched Cyborg anxiously. She had heard only muffled bits and pieces of what had been said beyond the door, but she knew his bionically enhanced senses had probably caught every word. She raised her eyebrows imploringly as he straightened up, and whispered, "What happened out there?"

"We've gotta go," the android said shortly, straightening up, "We have a meeting at the docks. Do you want me to call the guys?" 

"If you think we'll need them," she shrugged, "I've never actually had to fight his goons before, so I'm not sure how elite they are."

"Probably nothing a robot couldn't handle, right?" Cyborg said, allowing a bit too much of his emotion to bleed through to his words. Realizing his mistake, he quickened his pace, eager to reach the entrance they used to enter the casino.

"What…?" she drew in a breath quickly, and then hurried to catch up with him, grabbing his arm with both hands in an attempt to slow him down, "What did you just say?"

"Nuthin'," he said shortly, pulling out the fob to his car from his finger as he stepped outside into the warm September night.

She released his arm, realizing any attempts to hold him back were in vain. "It wasn't nothing…you used the word 'robot'…" she brushed a black curl out of her face and continued, "Is that how you think I see you?"

"Hey, it's not your problem what 'imperfections' a guy has, right? So just drop it," Cyborg told her, his attitude quickly turning sour. His sleek, blue-and-silver card pulled up in front of him on its own. He clicked another button, which popped open both of the front doors, and put away the tiny controller. The android stepped into his baby, trying to relax to the hum of its engine.

She quickly slid into the passenger seat, her evening having just gotten a hell of a lot more complicated. "It's not like that at all…" she told him, "What did I do to make you _think _that?"

He sighed and looked over at her, unbelievingly. Slowly, the large robot took off his hat and began to rub the masking cream from his face. The contact lens came off as well, revealing his normal facial features, "Clothing? Face-paint? I know you wish I could be like you. It'd make things a lot easier, wouldn't it? But I'm not like you anymore. If it were my choice, I'd still have a normal life," he said moodily, watching out of his window as people walked by, "I'd still have a shot at a decent relationship. But all anyone ever sees are the imperfections, the differences. Even you." The engine roared to life, and the car shot off, racing in the general direction of the shipping docks.

Amy twisted her clasped hand in her lap as they drove, pulling off the gloved and staring down at the un-pigmented palms, how much they contrasted from the brown-sugar coloring of the rest of her skin. She'd known prejudice, she known different, but she could believe that for all the hurt she could remember, she had just managed to do the same thing to someone else. It was the last thing she'd ever wanted; she'd sworn to herself years ago to die before she ever reached such a hypocritical level. She looked over at Cyborg, the human-side of his features facing her, and her stomach tried to leap up her throat. She'd never been more disgusted, or angry with herself. And she couldn't even come up with the right words to repair the damage. She felt a warm tear roll down her cheek and quickly brushed it away. 

They'd reached the docks.

* * *

"Hey, has anyone seen Cyborg around?" Beast Boy asked, looking around the kitchen and over into the living room.

Robin looked up, surprised to hear another voice in the vicinity, 'No, why?"

"I just thought he might want a chance to get his butt kicked in Karate Man: Death 5."

"One, I doubt you would be able to kick Cyborg's butt," Robin said, listing his points with his fingers, "And two…, you could never kick Cyborg's butt," the Boy Wonder finished, abandoning his train of thought and retreating back to his book.

"Oh shut up…" Beast Boy muttered, pulling a bottle of soy milk out of the fridge and leaving to continue his search elsewhere in the Tower.

* * *

The docks were quiet as Amy slid out of the car, and unstrapped her pistol from her leg, where it had been concealed beneath her skirt. All her thoughts during the drive were forcefully shoved to the back of her mind. She needed to have a clear head now. If she let herself get distracted, she could get herself killed, or worse, blow this mission. She shut the door behind her, and attached the silencer to her Wolfram.

"Looks like this party's already started," Cyborg commented, watching as men tromped up and down a long ramp leading from the old, beat-up liner down to the ground a short distance away.

"There are only about a dozen that I can see from here, and probably not many more inside," she said, stepping back into the shadow of a large crate, watching the action, "I just hope we can get to Mendoza before he makes his exit."

The large laser cannon on Cyborg's right arm cocked itself, breaking the sleeve to his suit on that side, "Shouldn't be too hard," he commented, now focused completely on the upcoming battle.

Amy's blue eyes lit up as she watched a figure in a familiar white suit make his way past his lackeys up into the boat. "If you can give me some cover, I can get inside the ship and nail him," she said.

"Cover fire is my favorite assignment," the android grinned, momentarily forgetting their fight, "GO!" he yelled, launching a blue energy blast towards the men with the crates on the ground.

As the blast hit the crate, the men scattered in anger and confusion and smoke rose up around them. _'Perfect!' _Amy thought, dashing forward unnoticed and surprisingly agile despite the hindrance of the stiletto heels, which clicked like muted gunshots up the entry ramp of the boat. She could hear the brawl beginning behind her, but willed herself not to look back. Cyborg could handle himself; he'd proven that to her during their first joint venture. She could hear Latino voices down the corridor to her right and she followed them swiftly, Wolfram at the ready.

The two burly guards from earlier in the casino were ready and waiting for an attacker, with Mendoza running farther down the hall behind them. They were slow in bringing their weapons (two generic pistols) to bare, however, when they saw who their assailant was, "It's dat chick!" one of them shouted in surprise and confusion.

"That's right boys," she said, her voice having long since lost all its pretentious sweetness, "And playtime's over. Drop your weapons and keep your hands where I can see them." She kept both hands on her pistol, watching them for any sudden movements.

The two men moved slowly, carefully placing their weapons on the ground and kicking them towards her. One grinned, "Playtime's over, for you maybe."

Instantly, she made to spin around, but the strong hands of Mr. Anquea caught her in mid spin, one clutching her throat, the other twisting her right arm. With a stifled cry of pain, she dropped the gun, cursing herself for not having the brains to see a sneak attack coming. She swore under her breath as Mr. Venaca pulled a pistol out of his jacket, and aimed it at her head. "Such a shame to have to blow off such a pretty face…" he muttered as he stuck the barrel under her chin.

* * *

Outside, Cyborg threw the last of his would-be attackers into a heap at the bottom of the ramp. Now, where'd Leigh gotten off to? He began up the ramp at a jog, wondering why she hadn't come back triumphant with several men twice her size in handcuffs…

* * *

Mr. Anquea shoved Amy through a door into the captain's cabin roughly and she stumbled forward, still struggling against him. If only she could get her arms free, but he held them tight against her back and she couldn't move them. "Look what we caught, boss," Mr. Venaca said, gesturing at her with his gun, "This chick thinks she's some kinda hero."

"And she was prepared," Mr. Anquea added, "Show 'im the gun she was packin'."

Mendoza was leaning idly against the helm as Mr. Venaca handed him the Wolfram. He inspected it for a moment and then turned to look at Amy. "Tell me, doll, how does a sweet thing like you come to own a weapon like this?"

Amy said nothing, but only continued to struggle against Mr. Anquea's tight grip, glaring daggers at the drug lord.

"Nothing to say, doll?" the crime boss asked quietly, "Lock her up downstairs, boys. I want to keep this one quiet. If she doesn't want to talk, that's all the less noise for this operation."

"Couldn't we just silence her now, boss?" Mr. Venaca asked, grinning demonically, and twirling his pistol in his hand.

"Later, Mr. Venaca," Mendoza said crisply, "The sooner she's dead, the sooner they'll find the body. And I'd rather not take any chances right now. This one must have friends up high to hold this weapon. Friends that we have in common at Gotham Police Station, if I'm correct, Miss…"

"Go to hell," she spat at him.

The man scowled, then motioned for the four of them to escort her from his presence. One of the two large, hulking body guards reached for the door handle, but suddenly was blown backwards as a large energy beam broke down the door, causing Mr. Anquea to jump backwards in astonishment as the blast nearly scalped him. Cyborg was standing in the doorway, his frame nearly filling the entirety of that of the door, "I ain't gonna ask this nicely," the android said, scowling at the five men, "Let her go, now!"

"Who's this freak??" Vanaca cried, gaping up at the menacing figure.

Taking advantage of the moment, Amy slammed her sharp heel down hard on Anquea's foot. With a yelp, he loosened his grip on her and she pulled free, wheeling around and smashing her palm into his jaw, sending him reeling backwards. Bursting with energy, she swung out at Vanaca with a spin kick to his back that sent him stumbling towards the android, "Cyborg – catch!"

The android responded in his own way, rearing back with his fist and pounding the man to the ground. The two large bodyguards both open fired at Cyborg, who fired off his arm again, incinerating the bullets and causing the two men to leap away and let there weapons become smoking pieces of metal slag.

Amy caught Mendoza cocking her Wolfram and kicked it out of his hands. It clattered across the floor. "I don't think so," she said waving a finger at him. 

The drug lord roared and leaped up at her, fists flying. 

Cyborg grappled with the two men, his mechanically-enhanced muscles more than a match for the both of them. Two ground-shaking blows later, both men crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

He turned to where Amy and Mendoza were locked in combat. She seemed to be holding her own – no, she was wearing him down. The older man obviously hadn't counted on a woman putting up much of a fight, and his fatigue was already showing. Then Cyborg saw him slip a knife out of his sleeve.

There was no time to think. The man flashed a grin and moved to stab the unsuspecting young woman. The knife blade did not get far; an instant later, it met with Cyborg's detached left arm, piercing through the tough metallic armor and causing the limb to begin to short circuit. Mendoza let go of his weapon, shocked. 

As the android's arm hit the floor, Amy reared back and hit Mendoza square in the face with her fist. He crumpled to the floor, unconscious, the same instant she hit her knees, staring at the knife blade still lodged in the detached arm. Ignoring the shocks it sent coursing up her body, she pulled it free and closed the blade within the handle. Then she lifted up the arm, cradling it as if it were an infant, and rose to her feet. "That's twice in one night you've saved my life…" she said, gazing up at him, "How could I ever think you were anything less than human…?"

Cyborg smiled at her, feeling in his detached limb obviously shut down for safety reasons, "It's a mistake we all make. Even me at one time…" he reached over and picked up his arm, looking at it in a discouraged manner, "Ah well, I guess this baby won't be seein' any action for a while."

"I'm so sorry…" she said, "For a lot of things…" She found herself twisting her hands again nervously and turned her eyes to the debris-strewn floor.

"It's alright," he mumbled, a bit embarrassed himself, "I mighta over-reacted a bit…"

"No, you were right…it was totally insensitive of me," she said, "I swear the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you…" she looked back up at him, pretty as ever, her face flushed from the preceding battle, "Forgive me…?"

The large half-human beamed, "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"Make sure these guys stay behind bars where they belong," he finished, looking down at the five criminals, all of whom were no longer in the world of the conscious.

"Not a problem," she laughed, "Funny…I was expecting you to ask for something else…" she added, blushing just slightly.

Cyborg got the hint and went slightly red, "Now that I would consider a reward for saving you the second time," he said sheepishly, leaning downwards towards her.

"Sounds fair to me," she said, and stood on tip-toe so that their lips met. She wrapped her arms around his neck, forgetting all the aches and bruises for a gloriously long moment before lowering herself again, "Thank you."

"No prob."

* * *

It was near midnight by the time the Jump City officials had collected the crooks and the pair of crime-fighters found their way back to Titan's Tower. A half-moon lit their path as the T-Car rolled into the garage and Cyborg killed the motor. Amy pushed open the passenger side door and stretched her arms out towards the dashboard. "I just know I'm gonna be sore tomorrow," she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Most likely," Cyborg said nodding, "Ya know," he began, rubbing his neck with his lone good hand, "It's kinda late to be heading back to Gotham…"

"Are you inviting me to spend the night…?" she asked, smiling.

He bristled nervously, "Maybe…" he responded meekly, staring at the steering wheel.

She leaned close and kissed his cheek, "I'd love to."

He smiled briefly, then felt his cheeks burn as he stammered, "You know I can't…you know…_ever_…I'm not built for it anymore…"

She wrapped her arms around him gently, "Tell me Cy…you feel like staying up all night and talking with me?"

He relaxed a bit, glad to know she wasn't going to run off because of that fact, "Sure."

"That's good enough for me," she said, turning his head towards her and kissing him on the lips for a second time that night, "Come on. You can fix us a late dinner." She slid out of her seat and shut the door behind her, waiting for him.

The android clambered clumsily out of the automobile and hurried to open the door to the Tower for her. She stepped inside, and then reached back, taking hold of his good arm and pulling him in along with her.

The End

* * *

Authors' Note: We actually weren't sure about how much of Cyborg's anatomy was still human, but after conferring with a few other TT fans, we made a choice. And we plan on upholding it through all of our stories.


	3. No Means No

The Fourth Teen Titans Fic: "No Means No"

By Invader Sam & Invader Shaun

Raven sat on the living room floor, one leg crossed over the other, leaning against the couch. Headphones dangled loosely around her neck, the music turned up to the maximum, so that the entire room was filled with the soft melodies of Evanescence. A sketchbook was laid out on her legs and she was scratching at the paper with a stick of charcoal. She'd never been much of an artist, but she enjoyed seeing what would appear on the paper if she let her dammed-up emotions do most of the work. And the music never hurt either.

"What'cha doin'?" came a soft voice in her ear. Beast Boy was smiling down at her attempted drawing, eyes glittering with interest. He had only been passing through the room (Robin fell for the old "I-gotta-use-the-bathroom-so-I-can't-train-right-now" trick again), but curiosity killed the cat. And there were several thousands different sub-species of feline within his capabilities, after all…

"Nothing…" she said, not looking up from her abstract mess of charcoal on paper, "Shouldn't you be in the training room?"

'Yeah, like that'll happen," the changeling smirked. Noticing her unamused expression, he sighed exasperatedly, "I was already down there for an hour today and I told Robin that!" he sat down next to Raven, pulling his controller for Game Station out of the couch, "Besides, Cutting Edge: Evil 4 cravings can't be ignored!"

"I see…" she said, blandly glancing up at the TV screen as the game uploaded, and then turning back to her sketchbook, "Well, don't let me get in the way of your gaming needs…"

Beast Boy nodded appreciatively, and began to furiously tap the buttons on his gaming machine. After a few seconds, both of his eyes widened, then narrowed just as quickly, an idea having presented itself from the back of his mind, "You wanna play?" he asked politely, hitting 'pause' and digging the second controller out of the couch innards.

"No…" she replied.

"You wanna play a different game?"

"No…"

"You wanna go get somethin' ta eat?"

"No…"

"You wanna go see what Starfire's up to?"

"No…"

"Do you not wanna go out on a date with me?"

"No…"

"YES!!!" Beast Boy shouted, breaking the monotony of the previous few seconds of conversation. He leapt up out of his seat, practically dancing with joy, "Woohoo! I did it!"

Raven blinked a few times bemusedly, "Wait…what…?" She put her charcoal down and stared up at the changeling, puzzled, "What just happened…?"

"You said no! You said no!" Beast Boy said gleefully, his voice almost child-like in this sing-song manner, "You said no!"

"Yeah…but to what…?" she asked, "Why are you dancing around like an idiot?"

"Don't you understand what just happened here?" he asked, confusion knocking him back down to Earth.

"No…sorry, I kind of tuned out after the first question…"

Beast Boy thought about that for a moment, then perked up, "That's a good thing, I guess. Anyways, be ready for our date by 7:00, ok? I'm gonna take you to a movie!" the green-skinned teen nearly skipped out of the room, still extremely excited.

Raven blinked a few more times as she watched him go, feeling numb all over. What had she just agreed to?? Had he said 'date'?? The word rung in her ears hauntingly and suddenly she realized…they were no longer an unofficial couple. She shut off her CD player and closed her sketchbook. Sure, they'd had a few really great make-out sessions…but an actual date? That was something she'd sworn never to do – PDA just wasn't her style.

She sighed as she stood, running a hand through her spiky purple hair. _'Not much I can do about it now,' _she thought ruefully, _'If I canceled, it would crush him…' _And she couldn't do that – not anymore, anyway. Still feeling a bit dazed, she gathered up her things and headed for her room.

* * *

"Hmm…wonder what's playing now?" 

"Dude, Raven is _so _not gonna go for this," Cyborg said, leaning over the morphling's shoulder as the green teen paged through the daily newspaper.

"Cy…" Robin moaned, "You've been at this for a half hour. Face it – he's just going to keep ignoring you."

"I still can't believe he's deluding himself into thinking this is actually gonna happen," the android said.

"Hey," Beast Boy said, speaking to someone other than himself for the first time in a while, "If you could convince the cop chick to spend the night with you, I can certainly handle takin' Rae to the movies."

The android's face turned a light shade of crimson, "We talked, dude. I doubt you and Raven can do much talking from inside each other's mouths. Maybe that's why you still don't know jack-shit about her after five years," he folded his arms, finally retiring to his exercises, "Leigh and I are both fine with takin' the slow road."

Beast Boy blushed angrily and threw the paper down, "Dude – the slow road is all you got. All you'll _ever_ get."

Cyborg's red eye flared brightly and he jumped up from his recently-reclaimed seat, "Now that is just goin' _too_ damn far!" he shouted, crouching slightly and balling his hands into tight fists.

"Maybe if you'd stop acting like you know everything about Raven and me – which you _don't _ – I wouldn't have to go that far!" Beast Boy said, leaping to his feet, fists also clenched.

"Guys! _Guys!_" Robin pleaded, squeezing between them, "Come on, stop it already!!"

Cyborg grunted angrily, then turned away, "I don't see why anyone would ever like you, BB. Raven must be out of her mind." He stomped away, fuming to himself.

Beast Boy's whole body was shaking with rage. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. 

Robin shook his head. He hadn't thought either of their tempers could get any worse from when they were 15, but apparently he was wrong. And he was tired of being the one stuck in the middle of all their disputes. No longer in the mood to train, he strode slowly out of the room, leaving Cyborg alone. 

He nearly crashed into Starfire on his way out the door. "Whoa, sorry Star…" he said, backing around her and continuing towards his room.

"I heard shouting," she said, following after him, "What has happened?"

"Dumb and Dumber were at it again," he said curtly, slowing his pace a bit so she could catch up to him.

Star's first impulse was to inquire as to which was 'Dumb' and which was 'Dumber', but she decided against it. "They have been fighting more and more frequently as of late…" she said sadly, "and I am not sure I understand why…Perhaps it could be one of those 'guys things' you have told me about?"

Robin sighed, "Yeah…it's something along those lines."

Star nodded, "I see…is it something they will…out-grow? Or is it never going to stop…?"

"If either of them manages to live another ten or fifteen years, they might out-grow it," the Boy Wonder snorted, feeling quite contemptuous, "But at the rate their going now either they'll kill each other or drive me crazy enough to do it for them!"

Initially, Star was alarmed, but quickly realized that Robin was probably not completely serious. She linked one of her arms with his, "Perhaps this time we could let them solve their problems on their own…they must learn to do it sooner or later, after all."

Robin stopped walking, now thoughtful, "I can't imagine either of them giving in and apologizing. Still, that'd be a sight to see, wouldn't it?"

"It certainly would."

* * *

Beast Boy was on the floor of his room, staring dejectedly into the full-length mirror in front of him. _'What **does** she see in me anyway?' _he thought despondently, tugging on one of his pointed ears. Tall, scraggily, total lack of facial hair…not too much for the casual observer to be impressed with. And she had always seemed to hate his personality, so that couldn't be it. _'But…she said she loved me…why would she say that if she didn't mean it?' _He hung his head, _'Maybe I'm just fooling myself…**I'm **the one who must be out of his mind…'_

"You know…" said a familiar voice from behind him, "first date's always a make-or-break for a relationship…" Beast Boy could see Cyborg's hulking figure in the doorway reflected in the mirror and he turned. The android scuffed one foot on the floor, "So don't blow it…"

"Cy," the changeling was on his feet in an instant, "What I said before…was _totally _ outta line…" he hung his head, ashamed, "I'm sorry…"

The android nodded, smiling slightly, "Yeah, I know. I guess I mighta gotten a little outta hand myself…"

Beast Boy shrugged, "I tend to shoot my mouth off without thinking…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck guiltily, "I'm really sorry, man…I dunno why I always go after yer one sensitive spot…I'm such a jerk…"

"Yeah," Cyborg agreed, his pearly white teeth revealing themselves even more, "But we can have fun insulting you later. Even Klorbags have dates to get ready for sometimes," the large male reminded his friend, staring down at his watch, which was slowly ticking down the minutes.

"Gack! You're right!" Beast Boy cried, spinning around once frantically, starting towards the center of the room, then turning to face his friend once again, "So we're cool now?"

Cyborg thought for a moment, rubbing his chin with one hand, "Yeah, I think so," he gave the teen of slighter frame the thumbs up, then walked out of the room.

"Ok…ok good," Beast Boy said, leaning out into the hallway with a final grin before shutting himself in his room. _'Ok, Gar…time for a miracle…' _he thought to himself, standing before the mirror once more, _'Gotta get sexy by seven…boy, am I in trouble…' _ He sighed, shoulders slumping and ears drooping. 

* * *

In the opposite wing, Raven was sitting on her bed, dressed in black flares and a tank-top. She'd touched up her eye-liner and black lipstick, and was tapping her fingers nervously on her knee. _'I can't believe I'm really going to go through with this…' _she thought, _'But what else can I do?' _ She got to her feet reluctantly, spinning slowing before her non-magical mirror. She didn't look half-bad, actually…

She leaned forward, fingering the black-gem earrings that Star had suggested she buy (and when there was shopping, many suggestions always followed suit). They dangled on miniscule chains and sparkled in the dim glow of the lighted candles on her dresser. She'd never been a fan of jewelry but these had drawn her eye even before the Tameran had pointed them out. Raven had never had an excuse to wear them before, and now that she had them on she felt…pretty.

She closed her eyes, blushing before the sure-to-be-embarrassing outing with Beast Boy had even begun. These thoughts were unlike her, and she felt silly admitting them even to herself.

A knock on her door made her jump, nearly knocking over the nearest lit candle. Wanting to kick herself for being nervous, she blew out the candle and hurried to the door, "Coming!" She pulled the door open, face flushed, and slightly breathless, "Hi…"

Cyborg blinked, surprised by Raven's new appearance, "Uhh…hi Rae. You look nice," he commented. The large android jerked a thumb towards the stairs down the hallway behind him, "Anyway, your date's waitin' for you, but I won't let him in my car unless your there. I don't trust him with my baby unless someone with a brain is there."

Raven felt her face burn a brighter crimson, "Um…right. Thanks." She slinked past him towards the elevator, "I'll just…get down there…" she murmured, then stopped, glancing back at him, a trace of her vulnerable side leaking through, "You really think I look alright?"

"Yeah, now catch!" Cyborg tossed her the single key that would open his most precious possession, "You look fine. I can't say the same for Beast Boy, but you look beautiful."

She smiled as she caught the key expertly with one hand. "Thanks…I'll see ya later tonight, Cy!" With a small wave, she boarded the elevator and sunk below the floor.

* * *

With her confidence boosted, Raven stepped out of the elevator into the garage, glancing around for her date. She spotted the changeling pacing besides the T-Car anxiously. He was wearing faded (by design) blue jeans, a tight white T-shirt, and another unbuttoned black silk, short-sleeve shirt with Chinese dragon designs etched into the fabric. His hair was gelled and spiked, and the gold ring he usually wore in his left ear had been replaced with a simple diamond stud.

"Hey…" she said quietly, coming up behind him.

He jumped slightly, "Hi! Stupid Cyborg wouldn't let me in the car…" he grumbled, looking at the locked driver's side door.

"Got it covered," she said with a grin, slipping the key into the door and pulling it open. She made to slide in, and then stopped, "Sorry…you probably wanna drive…" she said, backing up and crossing over to unlock the shotgun side door.

"Seeing as I'm the one who knows where we're going…yeah, that would be about right," he nodded, adjusting the driver's seat to fit him, "You're gonna love the movie; I found the best one!"

"Oh joy…" she said, buckling her seatbelt, "And I guess you're not gonna tell me what it is until we get there?"

"Yup!"

* * *

"Geez, since when did they up the price of movie tickets to $9.25??"

"I can pay for my own, if you don't have enough," Raven offered.

"No, I got it," Beast Boy said, rifling through a worn-leather wallet. _'Sorry Robin, but your money's goin' to a good cause…'_ He picked out a twenty and handed to the very bored looking cashier, who gave him back his miniscule amount of change ($1.50) and the two tickets.

"The Dragonfly Effect?" Raven read off of her ticket, one eyebrow raised.

"The special effects are supposed to be awesome!" Beast Boy explained, waving around his hands for emphasis, "One critic said it was so scary that he had nightmares about it!" the changeling stopped, thinking, "Then he gave two thumbs up."

"A horror movie…?" Raven asked hesitantly. Surely he hadn't forgotten how she felt about horror movies.

"Well, technically it's labeled "Thriller" movie, not so much horror," Beast Boy said evasively, one hand nervously worming the ticket in-between his fingers. She had never really liked scary movies, but then again, that was the point. When Raven got scared, she tended to let her guard down…and that was what he was hoping for. "Come on, let's go gets snacks," he said, taking her by the arm and leading her towards concessions.

Raven moaned inwardly. He was doing this to her on purpose, she just knew it. _'If I embarrass myself because of him, I swear he'll regret it…' _

Another twenty dollar bill and ridiculously low amount of change later, the two headed towards Theater 4, arms laden with popcorn and sugary snacks, "I've been waiting all week to see this," Beast Boy stated, his glee like that of a small child with a shiny new quarter or toy, "I'm glad you're here to see it with me."

Raven let a small smile pass over her lips. She couldn't help it – his enthusiasm was contagious. She was sure she wasn't going to enjoy the film, but getting to spend time with Gar was never such a bad thing.

It took several minutes to get "the perfect seats", as Beast Boy referred to them. The Goth was fine sitting anywhere ("Just sit down, BB. We can see the screen from anywhere in this theater; They're insert number of feet high and wide screen is), but the changeling was a bit pickier ("But now we're looking at the screen from an angle! How'm I supposed to get the full effect of the movie if we're not in the middle!?") Eventually, accordance was achieved ("I'll sit next to you if you sit down and shut up, BB."… "Okay.")

The theater was packed by the time the lights went down (luckily, Raven's anti-charisma kept them from being boxed in) and the trailers began. Raven settled back in her seat, thankful that it was cushioned, a bucket of popcorn in her lap. She glanced over at her date, who was gaping at the previews enthralled, and shook her head. Maybe…just maybe she could try to enjoy this evening – for his sake.

One half-hour into the movie had all but removed that thought from her mind. Her eyes were wide and she was unable to turn them away from the screen. The empty bucket of popcorn (emptied not by her, but by Beast Boy, of course) was on the floor. A particularly bright flash of light filled the theater suddenly, and she grabbed hold of his arm unintentionally.

Beast Boy smiled, though not at the sudden twist in the plot, "Hey," he whispered, leaning in towards her ear so she could hear him better, "You ok?" He liked the attention, but if she was really not having a good time he wouldn't make her stay. She was holding his arm, though…

"J-just…fine…" she stammered, then as a scream echoed through the room, she hid her face against his shoulder.

He grinned again, "Wow! Cool!" 

_'How can he be enjoying this?!' _she thought, moving her hands from his arm to around his chest, _'Gods, I feel like an idiot…'_

In one smooth motion, Beast Boy moved his newly-freed arm around her shoulders, pulling the Azarath close.

_'He did this on purpose…' _she realized suddenly, not trying to pull away from him, _ 'This was just an excuse to be close to me…that's kinda sweet, I guess…in a twisted sort of way.' _ She snuggled in close and shut her eyes, concentrating on ignoring the soundtrack all around her.

* * *

"Whoo! That was great, wasn't it?" Beast Boy asked, standing up and stretching. The theater was all but deserted now, with the credits having finally worn down. Many cartons of popped corn lay scattered about the floor, their owners not having the courtesy to discard them in the proper trash receptacle as the management of the studio had requested.

Raven pushed herself up out of her seat, "If you ever humiliate me like that again, I'm going to hurt you," she said dryly, offering him her hand, "Now let's get out of here."

"It wasn't that bad, but…ok," he gave up trying to argue his point and took her hand, "We can go now." They left the theater together, in silence, and Beast Boy didn't open his mouth until they were out in the parking lot. "Didja have fun?"

Silence.

"Oh come on…"

She shook her head, "I did not enjoy the film…but I don't mind being around you…"

Now that was something worth hearing, "Really?" he asked enthusiastically. This would be the first time they were out in public together that she hadn't said she was embarrassed by his presence.

"Yes, dammit, you know that," she said, shoving into him playfully.

"I'm not, what was it last time, 'an-insult-to-the-nature-I-represent'?" he inquired, leaning in front of her door so she couldn't get into Cyborg's waiting car.

"No, you're not," she told him, somewhat exasperatedly, "Not tonight, anyway. Tonight you were…a gentleman…" She leaned over and kissed his cheek, "Now move."

"Only a one-kiss date?" he asked teasingly.

She gave him a quizzical look, "Did you expect a saliva exchange in the middle of the parking lot? If you don't manage to annoy on the drive home, you can expect something once we're back in the safety of the garage."

Beast Boy considered this, but ultimately decided this wasn't an insult, but rather a "later". Good enough, "Let us depart then, madam" he said in mock chivalrous tones, moving away and opening the door for Raven.

"Thanks," she slid in and handed him the key, "And next time, I get to pick where we go out, okay?"

"Well, I don't think it'd be nearly as much fun," the changeling stated, clambering into his own seat and bringing the engine alive with a roar, "But I guess it's only fair."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said, glaring at him.

"It means we wouldn't be getting to see people going insane on large screens!"

"And that's all you consider fun?"

"Well…no," he admitted, slightly flustered, "What're you trying to get at, Rae? I'm trying ta drive here. I can't do that and figure you out at the same time."

"Nevermind…forget it," she said, turning to stare out her window.

"Oh come on!" he burst out, letting go of the steering wheel for one frustrated moment, causing the car to veer off course and nearly run into a lamp post. Shaken by that turn of event, the morphling put both hands firmly on the wheel, "You can't do that!"

"Do what?" she asked, also a bit shaken.

"You can't just say 'nevermind' after all that!"

"It's just…I was hoping we'd be able to spend time together when it didn't involve insane amounts of money and cheap thrills…"

This was going somewhere. He just knew it, "Isn't that called 'home'?"

She sighed and glanced back out the window, they were speeding along the wooded back-roads leading to the Tower. "Pull over for a minute."

"Oh…kay…" he jerked the steering wheel and the car came to a complete standstill. Shifting into park, he leaned forward against the wheel, "What's up?"

Without a word, she unhooked her seatbelt and pushed her door open, sliding out of her seat and crossing in front of the vehicle, coming to a stop at the edge of the forest.

"Rae! Where're ya going?" Beast Boy called, scrambling to get out of the vehicle.

"I want to show you something," she said, turning and disappearing into the trees, "Come on."

The changeling followed her, scratching the back of his head curiously. He had been in this forest plenty of times in animal form. What was so interesting out this place? It was peaceful, to be sure, but still…

He caught up with her in a moonlit clearing, where she stood waiting for him, eyes turned towards the heavens. "Beautiful, isn't it…?"

"Yeah," he agreed, his head not even on the slightest of an incline towards the sky. Raven looked so beautiful tonight…

"See…?" she said, looking over at him, gesturing above her, "This is more like where I would've taken us…there's actually something I've wanted to do with you here for a while now."

Beast Boy's green skin around his cranium turned a light shade of cherry, blood rushing to his face, "Ah…ya lost me, Rae."

She shook her head, smiling. She hadn't lost him at all; she knew _exactly_ what his thoughts were turning to. "No, it's not like that…" she stretched her hands out towards him, "Let me show you."

He took her hand, bewildered. Her warm touch was welcomed, even in the heat of the early fall evening.

She reached out and took hold of his other hand, leaning in close, "I know you watch the stars…but how close have you actually seen them?"

"I've flown before," he said casually, "But I usually look more like this," his head morphed into that of a bald eagle and back again quickly. 

"Well…tell me if you've ever flown like this before," she said, closing her eyes as black energy engulfed them both. Seconds later they were rising off the ground, out of the open canopy, faster and faster until Beast Boy could no longer distinguish their city from all the other lights that spread across the shrinking landscape. There was a shockwave that send sparks flying off of the energy surrounding them, and then they stopped. Raven opened her eyes, panting from the effort, and glanced down at the planet below them. "Wow…I did it…" she breathed. _'I never thought I'd actually clear the atmosphere.'_

"Raven…we're in outer space!" Beast Boy gulped nervously, "Not that I'm not happy for you and all, but isn't there a lack of oxygen in outer space?"

"We're safe inside the sphere, I promise," she told him, "Just look at it, Gar…it's incredible…"

"Sure does look different from up here," Beast Boy commented quietly, staring at the blue-green marble below them.

"Puts thing in perspective, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah, makes me feel real small."

She squeezed his hands affectionately, "I've wanted to try this for months now…but I wanted to wait until I had someone to share it with. And I'm glad it's you."

"Me too," he nodded earnestly, "This rocks."

She leaned forward and kissed him, "I'm glad you approve."

There was a short silence, the two merely looking down upon the world they often fought to protect, "So…uhh…how long were you plannin' to stay up here? I mean, I've never been one to be scared of heights or anything, it's not that," he explained quickly, waving his arms around frantically to point out his position, "But you're sweating, that's all."

"You're right," she said, "It'll take more practice before I can hold it for any real length of time." She shut her eyes again and then began their descent. The going was much smoother and slower than the ascent had been, up until they were only a few feet above the grass in the clearing once more. Then she released the spell and Beast Boy had to wrap his arms around her neck to keep from dropping to the dirt. She smiled as she lowered them both to the ground, "You okay?"

"Are you?" the changeling asked, concerned over her sudden loss of strength.

"I'll be fine," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist, "Just a little tired."

"Traversing the different layers of the atmosphere might do that to a person, I guess," Beast Boy said playfully, enjoying her closeness.

"I'll get it right eventually," she said earnestly.

"I don't doubt it. I learned a long time ago not to underestimate you."

"Thanks," she said, then blushed, "You think you'd mind carrying me to the car?"

"Not at all, m'lady," he said, his falsely chivalrous tones returning. With that, he scooped her up into his arms and began the trek back towards their waiting automobile.

* * *

"Wow…the lights are all off. I guess they're not waiting up for us," Raven noted as they pulled up the driveway.

"Geez, it's only 12:30!"

"You're right…they're probably just waiting with the lights off," she nodded, "Idiots…"

"So uh…I'm gonna go fly up to my room now," Beast Boy said, slightly embarrassed at the awkward silence that threatened to make its presence known all too well between them, "Thanks for every, Rae," he added, shutting the car down and slipping out.

"No problem," she said, pushing open her door and stepping out. She shut it and then had to lean against it to keep from losing her balance. The flight through the atmosphere had taken more of a toll on her than she'd realized, and she bit her tongue, not really wanting to ask him for help again but knowing she'd never make it up to her room without him. "Gar, wait…"

One arm already a wing, he paused, slowly morphing himself back to normal, "Yeah?"

"Think you could fly me upstairs too?" she asked embarrassedly, trying to push herself off the car, and then she felt lightheaded and had to grab hold of it again.

"Oh!" he said, realizing now what she meant, "Sure! Hop one!" the changeling told her, sliding over the hood of the car to land in front of her. With a smile he transformed into a slightly-smaller-than-average pterodactyl.

"Thanks…" she said, positioning herself on his back, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, "I don't like being helpless like this, but for now, it's better than collapsing before getting to my room."

The large predator merely nodded and took flight, swooping out of the garage and aiming for the top of Titans Tower. He whirled around to the girl's wing and stopped in front of her bedroom window, sinking and rising gently in one spot as she pulled the windowpane open and slid into her room. Leaning against the sill, she stroked his scaly head, "Thanks again…tonight was great." She planted a kiss on his bill.

The beast's face went completely red and the lack of concentration caused a sudden reversal back to human form. Beast Boy's reaction time was just quick enough to latch on to her window sill, "Heh heh," came his weak laughter, "No problem."

"You idiot…" she said, grabbing hold of the back of his shirt and using the last of her strength to pull him up and into her room. His momentum caused him to overbalance her and they both toppled onto the floor. Raven moaned, unable to summon the power to remove Beast Boy's nose from between her breasts, "Um…are you okay?" she asked, felling the blood rush to her face. 

The teenage male jumped back, skittering as a flea back up the window sill. He changed back to humanoid form, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly while holding on to the narrow beam with his other hand, "I'm fine. Sorry 'bout that…"

"No, it's fine," she said, sitting up still blushing, "That was just a little…unexpected…"

"Hey, I didn't try to do that!"

"I didn't say it was _bad_," she said, "Just unexpected…"

Beast Boy blinked in surprise, "Oh…- wait, what?"

"I've never been…touched there before," she admitted, casting her gaze downward, "Even if it was unintentional, I can't say I didn't like it."

"Really?" Beast Boy asked, raising his eyebrows up and down at her.

She frowned, "Don't make me push you back out the window. I'm not giving you permission to grope me; I'm just saying I'm not going to hurt you for something that was half my fault."

"Right…" the changeling said, mulling over her words in his head. It was too late at night to be thinking, "Alright, _now_ I'm gonna go," he told her. Without another word, he let go and let himself free-fall about twenty feet before turning into a raven and flapping back towards his room, a head full of nice thoughts and pleasant memories to keep him company in his slumber…

The End


End file.
